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Post by Squeemonster on Oct 20, 2008 11:45:48 GMT -5
So, I've got a book rec, although I've only read about 100 pages out of 1000, so far (so if it ends up sucking, I take no responsibility for it ). It's What It Takes, by Richard Ben Cramer. It's about the 1988 presidential election. I've found I'm having a difficult time putting it down, it's so fascinating. It was published in the early nineties, so I wouldn't be surprised if a few people here have already read it. I've read a few biographies and political books that I've enjoyed, but never one that I'm jonesing to read. This books reads almost like a novel. Soooo interesting.
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Post by Michelle on Nov 10, 2008 11:46:22 GMT -5
I just finished a fascinating book called The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barr. Amazon's description: Towner Whitney, back to Salem from self-imposed exile on the West Coast, has plans for recuperation that evaporate with her great-aunt Eva's mysterious drowning. Fighting fear from a traumatic adolescence she can barely remember, Towner digs in for answers. But questions compound with the disappearance of a young woman under the thrall of a local fire-and-brimstone preacher, whose history of violence against Whitney women makes the situation personal for Towner. Her role in cop John Rafferty's investigation sparks a tentative romance. And as they scramble to avert disaster, the past that had slipped through the gaps in Towner's memory explodes into the present with a violence that capsizes her concept of truth.I enjoyed this book because it deals with how people's beliefs can shape their perceptions. There is Sophya, the troubled main character who calls herself Towner. She can read other's thoughts and also has been taught how to read lace by her great aunt. A fire and brimstone preacher and his followers clash with a group of witches as well as with May, Towner's mother. May takes in women who have run away from their abusive husbands and teaches them how to make Ipswich lace. The story changes perspectives several times, and that might throw you for a loop, but if you stick with it, I am confident you will find it a satisfying story.
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Post by Sara on Nov 23, 2008 17:04:28 GMT -5
Copied over from LJ: I picked up Graceling by Kristin Cashore pretty much on a whim—the NYT praised it in their book review section, the description of the premised and story intrigued me, and I had a bit left on a bookstore gift certificate I'd gotten for my birthday. So I went to the store, read the first few pages, and decided to give it a whirl. I started the book one night after work, thinking I'd read a few chapters until I got hungry enough to fix myself some food. That was around 5:30 p.m. The next time I look up I realize: A) it's 7:40, B) I'm over halfway through the novel, and C) have been focusing so intently on my reading that my contacts have dried up to the point where blinking feels kinda funny. And let's face it: if a book can make me forget to eat, it's a pretty good sign that it's quite the read. Story teaser featuring some plot details behind the spoiler cut, but nothing beyond the third chapter: Graceling is told from the perspective of Katsa, a young woman who's spent the better part of her life serving her uncle, King Randa, as thug and assassin. In Katsa's world a select few are born with what's called a Grace—a unique gift beyond any of those the average person possesses. A Grace can be something as relatively mundane as acute hearing, the ability to swim like Michael Phelps, or culinary skill; it can also be a gift other people either fear or want to exploit, such as mind reading, perfect marksmanship, and superhuman strength. There is, however, a physical trait every Graceling shares, one that immediately distinguishes them from the people around them: they all have heterochromia—eyes of two different colors. So even a Graceling who wanted to hide the fact of their gift would be unable to do so, short of gouging out one of their eyes. In Katsa's case, her Grace gives her the ability to kill—be it with sword, knife, arrow, or her bare hands, if she sets her mind to ending you then it's time to update your will and hope that it's quick. She discovered her ability at the tender age of eight, when a distant cousin's leering eyes and wandering hand caused her to take a swing at him—and with one blow she broke his nose with such force it drove the bone shards into his brain, killing him instantly. It was, of course, an accident—she was a scared kid who had no idea her attempt to defend herself would have such devastating results—but her uncle saw the practical benefits of having such a Grace at his disposal. Fearful of losing control again, Katsa sought help from Oll, the king's captain and spymaster. One of the few folks to think to wonder if Katsa hadn't been as surprised as everyone else by what transpired with her cousin, he began training her in all possible forms of fighting. Meanwhile, King Randa and the rest of his court, with few exceptions, kept a wide distance between themselves and the young girl with the deadly Grace—as Katsa herself notes later on, "a murderous dog might be useful to a king, but that doesn't mean he wants it sleeping at his feet." And in that statement we get a glimpse not only of Katsa's clear-eyed understanding of her circumstances but of her constant inner turmoil as well. Even though she has, in recent years, found a way to use her training to help others without her uncle's knowledge, when we meet her the now eighteen year-old Katsa still despises her ability and what it has enabled her to do. Then Katsa and her underground group undertake to rescue Prince Tealiff, kidnapped father of another realm's queen. Her success, however, is but the start of the adventure—it is after she meets Tealiff's grandson Po, and begins working with him to unravel the mystery of who took Tealiff and why, that the story really kicks into high gear. And that's about all I can say without getting into some truly spoilery details. There are some pretty interesting similarities between Graceling's protagonist Katsa and Buffy, the modern-day epitome of kick-ass girl power; neither asked to be special, both feel somewhat ostracized and separate from "normal" people, and the First Slayer's proclamation to Buffy that "death is your gift" would, in Katsa's mind, be an equally appropriate description for herself. *suddenly envisions the awesomeness that would be Joss Whedon filming Graceling, starring Summer Glau as Katsa...* More important, just like other excellent storytellers such as Whedon or Alice Hoffman, Cashore has a deft touch with characters and dialogue, a keen understanding of human nature and emotional nuance, and knows not only how to spin a tale but do so unobtrusively—she has a distinct voice, yet never feels the need to draw your attention to the woman behind the curtain with unnecessary flourishes and self-consciously clever prose. In other words, she gets out of the way and lets you immerse yourself completely in what you're reading—a writing skill that's far too often unappreciated and underrated, in my ever humble opinion. At any rate, I found Graceling to be thoughtful, original, compelling, and an all-around terrific read. Highly recommended.
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Post by Spaced Out Looney on May 31, 2009 19:05:15 GMT -5
I set up an account over at Good Reads (Thanks, Michelle!) www.goodreads.com/spacedoutlooney and if I have any time (HA!) in the near future, I'm going to make book recs and reviews over there. If anyone else is on Good Reads and is so inclined, feel free to friend me or whatever.
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